Absolute Worst, God-Awful Station Standardization

[bammy9 26]

BEST: Scripps and Hearst

WORST: Raycom

[10Viewer 334]

The Gannett package was a big upgrade for WTSP. Much better than what they had before.

 

The Sinclair standardization is the cheapest looking package around. Worse than Scripps.

[ABC 7 Denver 1715]

Let's see. I'm in Denver. I have KMGH (Scripps), KCNC (CBS O&O) and KUSA (Gannett). All of these are either boring or crap.

 

KUSA used to have talents with their old package and (finally) phased them out six months ago. Despite KUSA being the Gannett flagship and having the graphics department in house, they have not updated their open since 2008 not their logo since 1984. And their set needs a heavy update. For being created in 2004 when they went HiDef, this set is good. Just not good enough. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150656277416077&set=a.10150656080131077.438133.263743636076&type=3&theater

 

KCNC has the standardization with Enforcer, of course, but for some reason during newscast promos they still play Newstime.

 

KMGH graphics are tired, McGraw-Hill 2006 standardization graphics, and I don't know if, when they switch over to Scripps graphics, the graphics will be worse or better. They are still using the original GMG EWN theme.

 

Truly the classiest graphics and music we have are not standard at all. Our Fox affil., KDVR has these: [yt][/yt]

[WXmanTim 88]

I don't particularly like the Fox O&O opens, but thankfully most of our newscasts don't use them. A couple of the morning show hours do, but that's it. None of the newscasts run talent bumpers. I think in the rundown slot where other stations would run one, we air promos for the morning show (and vice versa) instead.

 

The lower-thirds are ok, but I have to be very careful when building a "story explainer" because they can get busy quite fast. We recently received a (very minor) modification to the lower-3rds from the hub (I can see them in the graphics user interface), but haven't started airing them yet. I don't know why.

 

Since February, we've been using a pre-recorded headlines open (at 5 it's voiced by Don Teague or Melinda Spaulding, at 9 it's voiced by the v/o guy...weekends are voiced by Rita Garcia) that incorporates our new tag line "Miss a little, miss a lot".

 

Prior to that, our 5 & 9 would run one of the story transitions with a live-read of the headlines.

[Jess 1115]

I never posted my worst pick here, but I'll post it now.

 

I think the current Fox O&O look is probably the worst one out there. No offense to those working at Fox stations, of course.

 

It's just really clunky and in a lot of places mismatched. Some of the elements - you mentioned the opens, I'd also mention the lower thirds - just look bad. And some of the other elements that seem newer just look too over the top, with bold fonts in silver chrome texture flying at you. The end result just looks tired and chiche. There's some stuff that I do like - the 10pm refresh elements that were pushed out a year or so back were pretty neat - but for the most part it just looks like the worst stereotypes of American TV news.

 

And, t least on WTXF, there's a lot of inconsistency. The logo seems to look different across every promo and graphic they seem to use - the bug looks like one thing, some of the (ugly) virtual sets have it looking another way, some have "HD" in the logo, others don't... it's just a mess. And that's just in-newscast - some of the promos seem to be coming from different packages entirely.

 

WTXF also stopped using opens. Most newscasts open with a "RIGHT NOW" sting and some randomly chosen music... and often some randomly chosen Digital Juice background. (Again, not dissing the people that work on graphics at the O&Os!) You also barely hear the theme anymore, they use pop songs to go to break - though I'd argue the O&O theme is starting to feel extremely tired at this point anyway. It just all feels extremely disjointed and everything seems to clash horribly.

 

What boggles my mind is that Fox has standardized, or at least semi-standardized, more than once - and more often than not they got it RIGHT. I thought the first Fox News-esque package was pretty good when it debuted. Before that, they tried to put the WNYW look and theme on a couple of stations, including WTXF - and I think those results were fantastic. Hell, the graphical look the Fox stations had in the 80s before Fox was a network - THAT was nice. Fox's corporate looks are amongst the few that haven't looked like they did it just to save cash. For some reason, they just dropped the ball with this new package.

 

Maybe it's because I'm more exposed to it than some people, but I don't see why CBS, Scripps, and Gannett's shared looks get so much hate and this doesn't. Perhaps it's because I think CBS is a decent look with a decent theme, Scripps is a pretty good look with a pretty nice theme, and I have to say Gannett has a really nice look and - yes - a brilliant theme package. But there's a lot of consistency in all of those looks that I'm just not getting with Fox. Fox just looks like a jumbled mess, and that's why I think it's a bad look.

 

Also worth a quick mention - ITV's news look in the UK, and especially its local graphics and sets, are astoundingly awful. I didn't want to mention them here because it's international, but they're far worse than any standardized look I've seen in this country.

[AriX 8]

HulkieD, I wholeheartedly agree. I'm not a fan of the Fox O&O standardization, and WTXF does seem terribly disjointed in its presentation right now. I was also confused the other day when I drove past FOX29's building downtown and saw this: http://cl.ly/1K3g2a2X0f303u1M2G42 http://cl.ly/192j141H2T0A2G2F1I2z

I don't watch WTXF too much, but I find it very odd that they are still using this brand instead of their "box" O&O logos?

And have you ever taken a look at Fox's O&O sites? Terrible stuff...

[WFTV Channel 9 80]

Best: NBC, Raycom, Post-Newsweek, Hearst

 

Okay: Media General, ABC/Disney, Belo

 

Bad: Gannett (WUSA being the worst of all the Gannett stations), Fox, CBS,

[WXmanTim 88]

And have you ever taken a look at Fox's O&O sites? Terrible stuff...

 

Fox is launching new websites for the stations group sometime in the next two weeks (-ish...I can't remember the exact date ours goes live), according to our senior web producer. IIRC, it will be a wordpress site hosted/managed by a brand-name hosting company.

[TennTV1983 804]

 

Fox is launching new websites for the stations group sometime in the next two weeks (-ish...I can't remember the exact date ours goes live), according to our senior web producer. IIRC, it will be a wordpress site hosted/managed by a brand-name hosting company.

Much like what is already in place at the CBS O&Os and the LocalTV stations?

[WXmanTim 88]

I haven't seen a template or anything, just know it's in the works.

[Jess 1115]

 

Fox is launching new websites for the stations group sometime in the next two weeks (-ish...I can't remember the exact date ours goes live), according to our senior web producer. IIRC, it will be a wordpress site hosted/managed by a brand-name hosting company.

Interesting, so they're outsourcing to someone? I know CBS' local sites are hosted by Wordpress itself, wouldn't be surprised if that's the case for Fox. Would make sense because they've been effectively dismantling the Fox Interactive group. MySpace was sold for peanuts, Hearst bought part of IGN last year and they're spinning it off.

 

Do you know if the "MyFox" brand is going? Since they sold off MySpace and the brand is pretty much irrelevant now, it would make sense. I know the amount of mentions has dwindled a bit.

 

That said I actually don't mind the existing Fox sites, I think the layout and navigation is pretty clear. But it is kind of obvious they need a huge update and I think they need to upgrade the video technology a bit.

[WXmanTim 88]

I believe it will still be "myfox(city).com" we mention it quite a bit on our air, at any rate. I think the video streaming technology is one of the big reasons they are upgrading to the company they chose (the choice of which honestly surprised me).

[T.L. Hughes 890]

In Oklahoma City, three of the four news stations are owned by station groups that use standardized graphics; the Hothaus graphics Griffin uses on KWTV here and KOTV/KQCW in Tulsa are fairly decent, KOTV executes them properly than KWTV does, though; the main opens, rejoins and topicals are excellent and the time and temperature bug is good (although for some reason, KWTV uses flashover animations (that are basically warp speed versions of the red/yellow line movements used in the full-screen graphics, rejoins and opens) on the part of the bug where the website URL and callsign are, more than once in succession). However, I find it odd that the newscast title isn't used alongside the logo on the opens, rejoins and promo graphics, except when the web URL is used.

 

KOCO's version of the Hearst graphics vary, the opens are good (except for the "Right Now" animation in the main open, used just before the toss to a story preview or anchor shot, it looks a little out of place) and topicals are okay but not stellar, L3s are fairly decent (though the use of Bank Gothic and Helvetica Condensed on the right-side L3s used during weather and sports segments make it look a little cramped), the weather graphics are probably the best in the market now (they recently upgraded to the TruVu Max system, although the timeline forecasts don't use a 3D city model, just a still of the Oklahoma City skyline with an animated version of the Oklahoma River).

 

KOKH, since it's owned by Sinclair, uses their somewhat maligned graphics package; to be fair, the opens, topicals and rejoins are decent. The L3s not as much (the design is okay, but the use of Helvetica Bold Italic doesn't give it a proper execution) and the ticker (which has actually been used since the News Central era) doesn't look very good and sometimes headlines that use very long text are split into two sections separated by a "Fox 25" logo (minus the red and white 3D background), the use of Arial on the time and temperature bug I don't like (Arial to me, just looks like a cheapified version of Helvetica, and doesn't look good on news graphics), the weather graphics are fairly decent (though during the day planner and 7-day forecast graphics on their 9 a.m. extension of its morning newscast called Good Day Oklahoma, they choose to use Helvetica Regular to match the program's logo, which looks out of place in comparison to the Helvetica Extended Bold normally used which makes the banner graphics look better executed), the sports graphics are kind of meh.

[AceHawk447 17]

HulkieD, I wholeheartedly agree. I'm not a fan of the Fox O&O standardization, and WTXF does seem terribly disjointed in its presentation right now. I was also confused the other day when I drove past FOX29's building downtown and saw this: http://cl.ly/1K3g2a2X0f303u1M2G42 http://cl.ly/192j141H2T0A2G2F1I2z

I don't watch WTXF too much, but I find it very odd that they are still using this brand instead of their "box" O&O logos?

And have you ever taken a look at Fox's O&O sites? Terrible stuff...

 

I actually think WTXF's current logo would look even better w/ that treatment of "29," while those of original O&Os WNYW, WTTG, and KTTV would look better w/ the classic bold Fritz numbers.

[jdcnow 14]

Gannett has to be the worst, if you compare it to what it replaced in some markets (I'm thinking what WXIA and KPNX had before vs. now).

 

CBS O&O is by far the most bland/least imaginative set of graphics I've seen, simply because of a) the usage of Arial as their main font, the boring opening animations, c) Enforcer (such a cliche'd theme). I'll give credit to WCCO and KDKA for their execution of this look.

 

The best one (which isn't listed on here) is the NBC Arthouse graphics. All of their 'looks' are well done (except the current KNSD graphics).

 

I agreed about CBS. Too bland. Way too bland. Hell, I would have liked either the WBBM Hothaus package (tweaked with blue) or the KTVT HD package by GO to have been made the standardized package for the CBS O&Os. Enforcer - while I do like some of the cuts, it is getting a bit tiresome. I will say, though, that the NewGen v1 latenight theme (the rock-n-roll version, familiar to all) was, is, and will always be, imho, one of the greatest latenight news themes ever. Period.

 

Gannett - I'm not gonna lie, here - the Rampage Music theme has grown on me. Heck, it's even my ringtone on my smartphone. And the new gfx were a big help to stations like WGRZ and KTHV who didn't have the money for better. But I do miss the old GO Gannett graphics (WUSA, WXIA, WTSP, KSDK, KPNX, etc), and I did like that each station picked their own music to go with said graphics.

 

I do like the Belo Package (KMOV, KGW, KING, KREM, etc), and Belo, more or less, lets their stations do their own thing. I do like that.

 

Nexstar needs to let its stations drop the community-theme-named websites (Dothan First, Arkansas Matters, Rochester Homepage, etc) and go back to the station names/calls. I can remember KARK 4 a lot easier than AR Matters.

 

The best >> Post Newsweek (although let KPRC go back to News 2 Houston, and let WPLG go back to Eyewitness News), Hearst, Raycom, and ABC-Disney...

 

Addendum >> One of these days, I might just take on WTVG's graphics as a charity case, and whip up a whole package and just donate it to them. If freaking KSWO can get new crap, then why is WTVG still stuck with the hand-me-down stuff from KABC (FROM YEARS AGO!!!), retrofitted for HD? I was watching their stuff from YouTube, and they would look great...if this were still 1999, and not 2012. Although I'd keep the theme for WTVG. I always did love their cuts of Eyewitness News.

[jdcnow 14]

Interesting, so they're outsourcing to someone? I know CBS' local sites are hosted by Wordpress itself, wouldn't be surprised if that's the case for Fox. Would make sense because they've been effectively dismantling the Fox Interactive group. MySpace was sold for peanuts, Hearst bought part of IGN last year and they're spinning it off.

 

Do you know if the "MyFox" brand is going? Since they sold off MySpace and the brand is pretty much irrelevant now, it would make sense. I know the amount of mentions has dwindled a bit.

 

That said I actually don't mind the existing Fox sites, I think the layout and navigation is pretty clear. But it is kind of obvious they need a huge update and I think they need to upgrade the video technology a bit.

 

I agree with the myFOX sites, but at this point, I'm just glad to have them around. Remeber the days before the myFOX overhaul - KRIV's website was literally just a park page advertising the noon and 9pm news. And it had been like that **for years** before the overhaul came along.

[groupwfan 97]

 

I agreed about CBS. Too bland. Way too bland. Hell, I would have liked either the WBBM Hothaus package (tweaked with blue) or the KTVT HD package by GO to have been made the standardized package for the CBS O&Os. Enforcer - while I do like some of the cuts, it is getting a bit tiresome. I will say, though, that the NewGen v1 latenight theme (the rock-n-roll version, familiar to all) was, is, and will always be, imho, one of the greatest latenight news themes ever. Period.

 

Gannett - I'm not gonna lie, here - the Rampage Music theme has grown on me. Heck, it's even my ringtone on my smartphone. And the new gfx were a big help to stations like WGRZ and KTHV who didn't have the money for better. But I do miss the old GO Gannett graphics (WUSA, WXIA, WTSP, KSDK, KPNX, etc), and I did like that each station picked their own music to go with said graphics.

 

I do like the Belo Package (KMOV, KGW, KING, KREM, etc), and Belo, more or less, lets their stations do their own thing. I do like that.

 

Nexstar needs to let its stations drop the community-theme-named websites (Dothan First, Arkansas Matters, Rochester Homepage, etc) and go back to the station names/calls. I can remember KARK 4 a lot easier than AR Matters.

 

The best >> Post Newsweek (although let KPRC go back to News 2 Houston, and let WPLG go back to Eyewitness News), Hearst, Raycom, and ABC-Disney...

 

Addendum >> One of these days, I might just take on WTVG's graphics as a charity case, and whip up a whole package and just donate it to them. If freaking KSWO can get new crap, then why is WTVG still stuck with the hand-me-down stuff from KABC (FROM YEARS AGO!!!), retrofitted for HD? I was watching their stuff from YouTube, and they would look great...if this were still 1999, and not 2012. Although I'd keep the theme for WTVG. I always did love their cuts of Eyewitness News.

 

'Bout the Gannett package, it's growing on me, too. Only KARE11 got to keep their 1996-present theme (with the 2004 refresh).

The Eye's stations, well... they need to take a page of the Peacock's local style book and just revise the look for goodness sake!

[Viper550 291]

Now that I look at the Raycom look a bit more, its one of those hit or miss looks. The 3D L3 animations do look pretty cool, and the whole look can work well if it is done right. WOIO is currently using a pretty interesting deconstruction of it, and it actually fits them well.

 

[MidwestTV 1232]

Gannett, my God! Raycom has some decent moments and Scripp's package EVENTUALLY grows on you, but it takes forever.

 

(oh yes, I'm new here. Hi.)

[Rusty Muck 4374]

'Bout the Gannett package, it's growing on me, too. Only KARE11 got to keep their 1996-present theme (with the 2004 refresh).

The Eye's stations, well... they need to take a page of the Peacock's local style book and just revise the look for goodness sake!

 

I have never liked the Gannett package. And the prolonged "headline" at the bottom of the screen during B-roll and field reports is too big. Shrink it down about 1/2 of the way. At least the "Rundown" headline scroll was ditched not long after it was implemented.

 

WKYC - at least for the 6p and 11p newscasts - ditched the Rampage Music package in favor of Steven Arnold's "Propulsion," which up to this point was proprietary on Belo stations. It's now a cold open with Ed O'Brien's VO. (Skip to 1:15 if you want to avoid Dr. Phil at all costs...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqzxjcgfUZs

 

Only their weekday morning newscast still uses Rampage and the bland-o Gannett open (which doesn't even show the word "NEWS", just WKYC's "wkyc-HD" logo). WKYC's 24/7 HD-2 weather radar feed also has a looping cut of Rampage run almost non-stop. Their noon newscast was cobbled into a pre-existing midday talk show, which is a whole other deal altogether.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Now that I look at the Raycom look a bit more, its one of those hit or miss looks. The 3D L3 animations do look pretty cool, and the whole look can work well if it is done right. WOIO is currently using a pretty interesting deconstruction of it, and it actually fits them well.

 

 

WBRC - a former FOX O&O and Local TVer - also radically deconstructed the Raycom L3s, going so far as to flip them in reverse.

This vid is a year old, so idk if the L3s have the 3D movement yet or not. The open and some other backgrounds (a second-generation deconstruction of their original Fox O&O V1 graphics) were done in-house.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Do you know if the "MyFox" brand is going? Since they sold off MySpace and the brand is pretty much irrelevant now, it would make sense. I know the amount of mentions has dwindled a bit.

 

Remember, News Corp. still owns "MyTV."

 

As long as that netlet continues to exist (and they are... just barely...) the "MyFox" name will linger. Otherwise, the name really has little crosspromotion value whatsoever, even in the Fox-MyTV duopoly markets of LA, NY, DC, CHI, etc.

[WXmanTim 88]

New Fox O&O graphics are set to premiere in Houston October 2nd.

 

The lower 3rds are going blue and it appears there may be a redesigned bug in the mix as well.

 

(more on the bug: in our system the graphic template has a dead space marked "bug" that gives us an idea how many characters we can use on each line. In the current set-up, the dead space rectangle is - obviously - in the shape of the current logo design. With the updated templates, the bug is scaled down and flipped on it's side similar - in shape anyway - to the 90s "Fox XX" logo.)

 

They're also ditching the "rotating video boxes" backgrounds to the fullscreens.

[Jess 1115]

Is that the extent of the changes? I'd be really bummed if they are. Those graphics need a total redo, not a refresh that recolors the awful l3s and gets rid of the trite "500 Channel Universe" background. Though I've known they were going to go the horizontal route for the logos again.

[WXmanTim 88]

Is that the extent of the changes? I'd be really bummed if they are. Those graphics need a total redo, not a refresh that recolors the awful l3s and gets rid of the trite "500 Channel Universe" background. Though I've known they were going to go the horizontal route for the logos again.

 

I don't know if that's the extent of it...that's just what I can see in the user interface - which doesn't give me any idea of how they are animated. I also don't think everything has been loaded in yet.

 

I've been told that the lower 3rds will be required to stay on screen the entire time any video is playing.

 

It's also possible that the stations are being allowed to adopt different colors. When I looked at it in our system, it was under a subheading styled "look(x)KRIVBlue" or something similar. I'll have to look again when I go into work tonight.